Seeking Organic & Paleo/primal Food Buddies (And Info)

[PhilipDT]

I see someone warning us that the produce is not really organic. I suspect he (or she) is right. I've been teased before for paying more for "organic." That makes some Argentinians in particular--laugh. They don't believe it either. But when I wash spinach in my sink and find baby earthworms trying to swim and I pick them out and go put them in the pot with a plant, it sure makes me feel good anyway. That never happened with spinach from Carrefour. Who would ever think a woman would be delighted to find a little green worm in the lettuce. Well I am that woman! So at least it's better. Also when I buy organic eggs, the shells are so thick they are sometimes kind of hard to break cleanly because the whole side wants to cave in if I insist on breaking it, and the yolks are very yellow while the ones in the store are very pale. So whether they could meet organic standards or not is, to me, open to question too. But I still like what I see.

You,re glad that the spinach is not rinsed as well? Earthworms are found near both organic and inorganic produce, if you found one it is just indicative of how well it was rinsed not how it was produced.

As for the eggs, most of what you describe has to do with the freshness of the eggs rather than feed given to the hens. Fresher eggs have a much more difficult to open shell and the yolks tend to be a brighter, also the white is much more viscous. As an expirament, next time you go to the grocery store, look at the production date on the eggs and try and find some less than 3 days old (may only be possible once or 2x a week depending on how they stock eggs) I bet you'll find that they are remarkably similar to your organic eggs.

 

[HelaineT]

I took Aleina Dee's advice and went and looked: Here is the nutrition in a half teaspoon of egg shell:
Calcium 900 mg which is 90% of your daily requirement (it says)
Magnesium 24.0 mg 6% MDF
Phosphorus 8.4 mg
Potassium 8.0 mg

I also found where it says it is digestible. Of course whether it's true or not I don't know.

Could you pulverize them enough to put them in a smoothie? I put flax seeds and chia in (best to soak first--but I do without soaking sometimes). I wonder if that would work. Know what? I make a raw burger (it's good too!) I wonder if it would mix in and disappear into that. Hmmmm . . . .

I had looked up the nutritional content too and was really impressed with the calcium: half a teaspoon - 900 mg. of calcium. That's 75% of what's recommended daily for people over 50 (1,200 mg.), 90% for people a decade younger.

I'd wash them well, maybe even in a bath with diluted ACV, and dry them thoroughly, maybe in a warm oven or in a dehydrator, and try a coffee grinder or blender. Feeling a little squeemish about putting them in my smoothie, but it's such a small amount!

Hey! Look what I just found: http://mamanatural.c...gshell-calcium/
I swear I did not see this article before musing on how I'd use eggshells.

 

[HelaineT]

Has anyone been to "San Telmo Verde Feria Organica"? Someone just sent emailed me one-liner that it's new.

I'm finally here, btw. Arrived on Monday. So happy to be back.

 

[HelaineT]

My first week here, almost up, has been intense as I've continued my work while settling in as quickly as possible. Ate in neighborhood restaurants all week because I can't bear to buy food in the supermarket; got a few small bags of produce from the Bolivian kiosks. Though not organic, there's a big difference in flavor. By my 5th day here, I was already showing signs of inflammation: puffiness beginning in my face, swollen ankles from too much salt in restaurant food, and intestinal weirdness ('scuse me).

Didn't make it early enough to El Galpon yesterday (Saturday) but I decided instead to visit El Rincon Organico, the cafe' and almacen http://www.elrincono....com.ar/joomla/ to inquire about home delivery of organic produce, and pastured poultry and eggs.

I bought their best organic olive oil (I lived 20 years in Italy, have high expectations), and I bought organic almonds, coffee, and a wedge of queso de campo to see how I do with a little dairy (their dairy products are mostly "biodynamic" - Rudolf Steiner's concept), and a dozen pastured eggs.

They gave me a product list so I can make my order online or by email by Monday morning to pick it up on Tuesday, or order by Wednesday morning to get home delivery on Thursday. (Balvanera gets Thursday delivery). Delivery is free if your order is over 200 pesos. Julia, the daughter/business partner of the founder came out to answer all my questions in English, and spent a lot of time with me. She grew up in the organic foods movement. Her mother came over to meet me and answer other questions. Both were knowledgable about the paleo diet, and the pastured animal situation in Argentina. According to them, except for chickens and eggs, all pastured meat here is for export. . . local meats are feedlot fed. Help!! Makes me wonder how much time I can actually live here in the future.

They didn't have apple cider vinegar, or some other things on my list. I'm glad I brought a large jar of great coconut oil from the US.
They do have organic wines, olives and tapenades, as well as many things I don't use eating "primally": organic grains, jams and juices.

They told me which of the vegetables and fruits are available this week for my order. The list will increase week by week as the weather gets warmer.

Before I left, I ordered a licuado in the cafe': mango, carrot, beet and something else. It was a smoothie, not a juice. Nice.

I'll be ordering chicken, produce, and a minimum of dairy, including the organic, biodynamic, plain yogurt (if only it were Greek-style!). I know that some people have been looking for real yogurt.

Anyone else have an update?

Has anyone tried the new paleo "closed door" restaurant http://como-sapiens.com/about/ that Razal mentioned?

 

[Aleina Dee]

Wow ,busy week. I am still doubtful about the feedlot situation here.It was the saving grace when the drought was infernal instead of just terrible. However I recently read an article that feedlot is falling out of favour again,the reason being that Argentina is a grainexporter as well,so feeding exportable grain (grain is exportable in almost any quality ) to exportable animals does not make much financial sense.So in years to come we might well see a turnaround.
My local Vea still displays its posters that their meat is pastizal.I followed up on that through Google and it appears that Jumbo and Vea share a farm in Huinca Renanco , not sure if they own it or just have an exclusivity contract. For me that is probably the best option for now as far as beef is concerned. Talking to other customers in Vea they tell me that they notice a difference in taste from the generic meat and the one labeled "Carne Vea" So for beef that is my go to option.The best chicken I found is from a butcher at the Galpon called Grafer. They have excellent pollo de campo. Additionally the family has kept up some German food tradiotions and prepare Cracov sausage,German sausage,liverwurst and Kassler.They are not certified organic,I don't think many people are but if you watch their stand makes sense. If there is pork loin from them that day there is no Kassler,after all one bicho has only so much loin to offer. They have their own farm and their meat is their own produce so having a limited offering authenticates that.

The other stand La Choza which sells the organic yogurt (the one by the vegetable stand )have organic chicken on request that comes from a cooperative in Entre Rios. They have a store in Martinez too where they sell a larger offering amongst them apple cider vinegar cloudy, but no mother.

At La Azucena the stand nearest the cafe they sell all kinds of artesanal cheeses,from almost grassfed beef. They freely admit that they feed grains and then leave the cows to graze at their leisure. It is not paleo ideal but try their Mascarpone cheese and their Provolone....

I mentioned the vegetable stand. Very nice ladies that tut tut you if you happen to ask for something that is not in season. Nicely of course. I read their pamphlet and they started life as a cooperative with land on disused railway sidings in La Plata I believe,land that was given to them by the government. Their prices are higher than verdulerias but they don't have the organic mark up.

There is a couple of more stands that are interesting but I have no names or reference points for you. There is another company which just recently started expanding. They had organic certification in the pas,t but let it slide as the expense was too great.I talked at length with the owner who told me that they treat their chickens as well and natural as possible,that they need to be vaccinated by law but that everything else not governed by law is treated and supervised by a homeopathic vet. He feeds them organic grain and whatever they find in the ground in their ranges. It is the stand next to the wine stand in the aisle where you come in, on the left hand side.
If you go, go on Saturday (more variety)and go early. Grafer for example regularly sells out by lunchtime.

 

[HelaineT]

Wow, Aleina Dee. This last post of yours is pure gold! Thanks so much. (I will write you privately.) I am actually going to send Julia from El Rincon Organico to your post on this thread, because it may be a sense of competition they are not even aware of blocking them from finding resources that could help them and their customers. I cannot believe that all those vendors lie to their customers, though I'm sure it happens in some circumstances. I've heard such stories.

I'm really glad we've kept this discussion unified in one thread, because it will be so helpful to anyone who seeks information, and it's easily found by googling some keywords.

Update on my small purchase yesterday from El Rincon Organico:
Today I fried 3 pastured eggs in coconut oil I brought from home. (I did it in a terrible, old teflon saucepan I have here, with some scratches. On the lookout for a cast iron skillet. Coto near my place doesn't seem to have them.) I was impressed with the "heft" of each egg. But I was really surprised and a bit concerned when I cracked them. The shells were thin and delicate. Pastured eggs in the US have thick, hard shells. The whites were thin and spread fast in the pan like eggs a few weeks old. But the yolks were a deep orange, and were large and retained a full shape, like with very fresh eggs. But then the taste: Mamma mia! They were so flavorful! Made me feel happy and satisfied.

I had a little salad of non-organic avocado and tomato from the Bolivian kiosk after my eggs, using my freshly ground Himalayan salt and organic pepper. I drizzled El Rincon's organic, extra virgin olive oil on it (I like fats). The produce at my local kiosk is pretty good-tasting. With the olive oil, it was really delicious! When the little salad was gone, I tipped the leftover seasoned oil and tomato liquid into my mouth - the oil was so good. Last time I was here, in Barrio Norte, my local queseria sold me their best-selling olive oil. They said they've been working with that company 20 years. I found it absolutely disgusting, knowing olive oil after 20 years in Umbria, Italy. But this stuff from El Rincon Organico is wonderful!! It's called "Germen de Vida".

I enjoyed the organic coffee as well.

 

[Aleina Dee]

The eggs you bought are different from the ones in the States as they are not and never have been refrigerated. It might also be that the egg had been sitting around in the store for a while or it might just be that the egg came from an older hen. I am not sure about the egg shells why they are thicker over there .Type of laying hen? Just a guess .
Cast iron pans you can find cheaply in a large supermarket.One portion ones that are used for provoleta here are just great for eggs too.
I share your distaste for a lot of bottled olive oil as I used to live in an olive growing region in Mexico. What a tastebud awakening that was when I bought the first bottle of EVOO there.

As far as vendors lying is concerned I think your eyes and taste buds are your best friends . You will only be fooled once and the vendors know it.
Often I casually start a conversation how happy I am to have found X as it sooo nice to have found X after such a long time here , that I need to know if they always have X etc. This of course to impress on the vendor that I could be a serious customer if things turned out to be kosher. There still seem to be phases to a customer vendor relationship here. One time customer in a verduleria =: You get the next best thing . Go twice and you are starting to get a rapport. Go too many times and you are back to square one and to remedy that you need to go there with a bag full of produce asking for just two potatoes to restore the power balance. It is an old market game most of us supermarket kids have forgotten or never learned.

My hat is off to you. In less than a week you have already conquered a lot of obstacles .

 

[HelaineT]

Aleina, thanks again for all the information!

I went to El Galpon today, and FINALLY felt at home in the world of BA food. Got a nice stash of vegetables and was surprised that it was only 37 pesos. Visited all the other vendors, asked questions (in my baby Castellano - did ok) and bought a few more things. As I'm testing how I do reintroducing dairy, if organic/pastured, I bought a little goat cheese de campo from Grafer, and a liter of full-fat yogurt from La Choza. The yogurt comes in glass milk-bottles. It was so thick I needed to slide a knife in to get it out of the bottle. (Why a narrow-mouthed bottle for dense yogurt?) It's delicious and creamy, though not as dense or high in protein as Greek-style; only 8g protein per 200g vs Greek yogurt's 20g protein. I would love for someone who speaks better Castellano than I do to speak with the La Choza people there and let them know of the commercial potential of straining their yogurt to make a Greek version!

The vendors were often curious to know more about what was behind my questions: what's the value of ACV with "the mother", and what is "la madre", anyway? Someone else had asked for it last week. Why would eating grains be not good for you? Why would I prefer products from animals that don't eat organic corn? As I wrote privately to Aleina, I'd love to have printed fact sheets in Castellano to give to many friends and such vendors who are curious about why I am eating this way. I couldn't even tell you in English, except that I like what's happening to my body, my energy, the quality of my sleep, etc.

 

[HelaineT]

I forgot to look for fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchee today at El Galpon. I happily found sauerkraut in a large Coto near me and both in a Japanese food store 2 blocks from my place. But not organic. Anyone find organic fermented foods? I'm not going to make it now, because I'm up to my eyeballs in a project, and dancing tango till the wee hours each night.

 

[lucha54]

Helaine for fermented why don't you try some of the organic delivery websites mentioned a few pages back? Also, I'm curious to know why you eat this way and what the physical effects are, so when you figure out how to explain it in English, let me know, and I can ask my boyfriend to translate it to Spanish for you!